Poll

Opinion

We have reached the halfway point of the 2018 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, and we are on our way to having a pension reform bill filed. We are confident that the pension proposal will reflect a significant amount of changes as a result of the feedback you, our constituents, have offered on this important subject. We also continued our work on the state budget and road plan and passed a number of bills this week.

This week in Frankfort marked the halfway point of the 2018 Legislative Session. Kentucky is a robust state, with many incredibly good traits, and some serious issues still to tackle. Every two years in Frankfort, the Legislature is charged with crafting a budget to fund important government programs like education, public safety and transportation, just to name a few.

Editor’s note: This column is the second in a series entitled “Things to Know.” This series will feature articles written by experts across LaRue County about things you need to know concerning different aspects of day-to-day life.

LaRue County EMS would like to remind our citizens and the community about the importance of having your homes properly addressed in the case of an emergency.

Editor’s note: This is the first column in a new series from The LaRue County Herald News entitled “Things to Know.” This series will feature articles written by experts across LaRue County about things you need to know concerning different aspects of day-to-day life.

President Harry S. Truman once famously demanded, “Give me a one-handed economist. All my economists say, ‘On the one hand…on the other…’” Unfortunately, legal advice is often delivered with the same two-handed approach.

On Sunday this past weekend, I went to see our very own Terry Sandidge speak at the Hometown Teams exhibit in downtown Hodgenville.

For those of you who have been living under a rock the past couple of weeks, several of our community leaders and others worked hard to bring a traveling exhibit called “Hometown Teams” to LaRue County. The free exhibit showcases national sports displays, but it also showcases LaRue County sports displays as well. The exhibit includes newspaper articles, trophies, uniforms, photographs and other memorabilia.

I’m glad to see we all made it through Winter Storm Hunter. One of my pet peeves is when they started naming winter storms.

It’s ridiculous to me that everything gets branded Winter Storm ______ (fill in the blank.) However, I think that is just one of the many signs of this crazy nutso world we live in today.

I did a little research and found out that The Weather Channel and other media outlets made naming winter storms popular in 2012 with Winter Storm Athena. Since then, they began branding winter storms on every one of their broadcasts.

It was quite a treat to kick off the pivotal 2018 Session of the General Assembly with the talented 100th Army Band from nearby Fort Knox playing the National Anthem and My Old Kentucky Home. We also took a moment to officially swear Senator Jimmy Higdon (R-Lebanon) in as the new Senate President Pro Tempore. No one is more deserving and our chamber will continue to benefit from his leadership.

Now you see him, now you don’t; rumor has it someone has been stalking a stretch of I-65 between Sonora and Glendale. His description: Male, gray hair, gray beard, measuring in at approximately 3’6”—not counting the horns. His name is Houdini, and he’s a goat—who is getting a following.

The season of frigid nights, warm gatherings, and good cheer is upon us as we prepare for 2018. This year was a whirlwind in the General Assembly as we passed historic legislation in the 2017 Session, held insightful policy discussions across the Commonwealth during the Interim, and analyzed proposed pension reform.

Here are some reminders about preparing and cooking your Thanksgiving turkey. If a frozen turkey is your choice, you can safely defrost it in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds in weight. Check that the original bag is not broken, to prevent raw juices from coming into contact with other foods.

Autumn has always been my favorite season; for me, the best part of fall in Kentucky is that it’s not summer. Nothing against sunshine, but I really love wearing sweaters and all the things this season brings like football and hot tea, glowing pumpkins and long runs through crunchy leaves.

Another great part of autumn is the onset of the holidays and after Halloween here, I’m excited for more. Louisville had the most amazing Jack O’ Lanterns and Hodgenville had some fantastic costumes. (Check out the winners and pictures on page 22A and 23A, by the way.)

Just as we need food and water to survive, we also need meaningful social relationships and connections.

While it is okay to feel lonely and to be alone at times, chronic loneliness can cause serious health concerns. Loneliness, if not addressed, can lead to social isolation, physical and mental decline and depression.

It’s no secret that Kentucky’s pension systems have been on a crash course for quite some time. Last November, we made a promise to Kentuckians to change the course of the Commonwealth, and with the collaboration of the Kentucky House, Governor Bevin, and the Kentucky Senate, that promise is fulfilled for current retirees and employees, and generations to come with the release of a plan to fix public pensions and ensure benefit obligations in the future.

How do you know when your body has had enough rest? According to the sleep guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) the average adult, from the ages of 24–64, should get about 7–9 hours of sleep every night.

Although there is no perfect amount of sleep for everyone, it would be wise to pay attention to how much sleep you get and how you feel. If after only 7 hours of sleep you feel refreshed, it may be enough. If after 7 hours you feel groggy or your body is sluggish, you may need more than just 7 hours.

Lincoln Days has come and gone, and whew— what a weekend! Quilt show, art show, all the contests and entertainment— for a “small town festival” there’s so much to see. As a first timer, I attempted to see it all and didn’t even come close.

Walking down Lincoln Boulevard, past the booths and open mic area, I looked around at the hundreds of people and wondered “What would Abraham Lincoln think about all this?”

How many of you, while your children were young, had a short bedtime story to help the kiddos wind down at the end of the day? If you were fortunate, it worked well enough to cause your children to develop an appreciation for reading.